Two loading ramps speed up delivery & despatch

14 June 2018

Preparing its premises to distribute high-performance compact tractors and professional mowers, Suffolk based ISEKI UK has announced the introduction of both a Thorworld Industries short ramp, and additional dock board ramp, at its Ipswich warehouse facility.

ISEKI has recently set up business in the UK, acting as a distributor of high-performance Japanese tractors and mowers; typically used by acreage property and small farm owners, contractors, local authorities, horticulturalists and agriculturalists.

The new UK enterprise’s supply process involves receiving consignments of machines, which arrive from Japan, ready for onward distribution to customers in this country.

New premises were earmarked to accommodate the machines’ delivery and despatch, and UK managing director, David Withers, was tasked with successfully overseeing an alteration project that would make the facility appropriate to its intended requirement.

David explains that the warehouse featured two loading doors -one at either end of the premises– access to which was approximately three feet above ground level. The Japanese truck containers delivering ISEKI’s machines from Asia are significantly higher than these access doors; and with the UK team looking to achieve different loading capabilities at either end of the building, bespoke access solutions needed to be sought.

“We wanted to dedicate one of our loading doors to a permanent ramp,” David explains, “to enable forklifts to manoeuvre consignments in and out of the building, down to the external yard area whenever required.

“At the other end of the warehouse, we required a portable solution that would provide variability, giving us the option of being able to back a truck into place when needed, then move the equipment aside when not required.”

To find the right solutions, David conducted an internet search that led him to Thorworld Industries, via sales agent, Darmax.

“We considered design proposals from a couple of loading bay equipment manufacturers but felt that the manufacturing and sales partnership of Thorworld and Darmax resulted in a more knowledgeable level of expertise. This left us feeling confident that the equipment presented would more than perform.”

Taking the brief on board, Ian Langan, technical director at Thorworld Industries, explains the designs he and the team proposed: “To deliver an effective permanent solution at the North end of the warehouse, we suggested a specialist,wider than standard, short ramp, created to effectively maintain the 7-degree angle required to enable smooth access.

“Then, to improve flexible functionality at the South of the building, we proposed the construction of a dock board ramp combination, which would also accommodate the low dock height, but could be moved with ease whenever required using a forklift truck.”

The design concepts were approved, and manufacturing began, however as warehouse access needed to be fully functioning with immediate effect, ISEKI UK chose to rent a temporary ramp solution from Thorworld, to tide the operation over during the apparatus’ production period.

“Being presented with an easy option to hire a loading ramp, capable of getting the UK operation up-and-running straight away was extremely helpful.” David continues: “The temporary equipment was very effective, and kept business moving until our bespoke solutions were ready to be installed.”

With the purpose-designed ramps now fully operational, ISEKI UK’s loading bay facilities are complete:“So far so good,”concludes David. “The whole design and purchase process with Thorworld and Darmax has worked extremely well and we’ve every reason to believe the equipment we’ve secured will perform and deliver for many years to come."